Lemon Pasta with Spinach

October 2021. Fall in Memphis, and I am 62, walking the neighborhood in my light jacket, watching the leaves turn on the oaks and maples that line Deadrick Avenue. The smoker is happy in fall — the cooler air holds the smoke lower, keeps it closer to the meat, and the results are always a shade better in October than in July, as if the season itself is a seasoning.

Walter Jr. came by with the grandchildren, bringing the noise and energy that grandchildren bring, the house expanding to hold them the way a good pot expands to hold a good stew. Trey at the smoker, learning, absorbing, his hands getting steadier each visit, the fire recognizing him the way fire recognizes those who are meant to tend it.

Comfort food this week: a big pot of collard greens with smoked turkey neck, simmered for three hours until the greens were dark and silky and the pot liquor was a treasure. The kitchen smelled like Mama's kitchen in the shotgun house, and I stood at the stove and stirred and thought about hands — her hands, small and strong, teaching mine everything they know about turning humble ingredients into something that feeds not just the body but the soul.

I sat in the lawn chair next to Uncle Clyde's smoker as the dark came on, and I thought about what I always think about: the chain. From Clyde to me. From me to Trey, maybe, or Jerome, or whoever comes next with the patience and the hands and the willingness to stand next to a fire at three in the morning and wait for something good to happen. The chain doesn't break. The fire doesn't stop. And I am here, 62 years old, in a lawn chair in Orange Mound, Memphis, Tennessee, watching the smoke rise, and the rising is the living, and the living is the gift.

That big pot of collard greens reminded me all over again that leafy greens—done slow, done with intention—are the through-line of this family’s table. When Trey finally headed home with Walter Jr. and the grandchildren, I wanted something I could pull together on a quieter night that kept that same spirit alive: greens cooked down tender, bright with something acidic, warming from the inside out. This lemon pasta with spinach won’t replace Mama’s collards, but it carries the same idea—humble leaves, a little patience, and the right heat turning them into something that matters.

Prep Time: 10 min | Cook Time: 20 min | Total Time: 30 min | Servings: 4

Ingredients

12 oz linguine or spaghetti
3 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
5 oz fresh baby spinach (about 5 packed cups)
1 teaspoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1/2 cup pasta cooking water, reserved
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for pasta water
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Instructions

Cook the pasta. Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook pasta according to package directions until al dente. Before draining, reserve 1/2 cup of the starchy pasta water. Drain and set aside.
Build the garlic base. While the pasta cooks, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring frequently, for 2—3 minutes until the garlic is golden and fragrant but not browned.
Wilt the spinach. Add the spinach to the skillet in batches, turning with tongs after each addition. Cook for 2—3 minutes total until all the spinach is fully wilted and collapsed. Season with salt and black pepper.
Combine with pasta. Add the drained pasta to the skillet. Pour in the lemon juice, lemon zest, and 1/4 cup of the reserved pasta water. Toss everything together over medium heat for 1—2 minutes, adding more pasta water a splash at a time if the pasta looks dry.
Finish with Parmesan. Remove from heat and stir in the grated Parmesan, tossing until it melts into a light, cohesive sauce that coats every strand.
Serve. Divide among four bowls and top with additional Parmesan and a crack of black pepper. Serve immediately.

Nutrition (per serving)

Lemon Pasta with Spinach — The Greens That Keep the Chain Going